Barre et al:

Hastily --

Your "Derby Ram" is a variant on a clutch of (children's) songs I call
"teasing songs" in _The Erotic Muse_.

Unique it is.

Ed

On Wed, 4 Aug 1999, Barre Toelken wrote:

> 
> A student recently collected the following song from an elderly man.
> Part of it is reminiscent of the "Derby Ram," but the hidden rhyme style
> is like that of "Sweet Violets" and others. Can anyone shed some light
> on it?
> 
> Two Irishmen, two Irishmen workin' (sittin') on a ditch
> One called the other a dirty son of a
> Peter Murphey had a goat, no finer goat than he
> He lent him to his neighbor to keep him company.
> The horns upon this billy goat was made of solid brass
> One stuck out of his upper lip, the other stuck out of his
> Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies
> Just keep your mouth shut and you won't catch no flies.
> 
> All day, all night sitting on a rock
> Along came a bumble bee and stung me (him) on my (his)
> Cocktail ginger ale, five cents a glass
> And if you don't believe me just kiss my dirty
> Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies
> Just keep your mouth shut and you won't catch no flies.
> 
> To Amberdean, to Amberdean, to Amberdean one day
> I bought the best darn billy goat that ever lived on hay
> The hair upon this billy goat, was very very thick
> Took all the girls in Amberdean to find his little
> Hokey, pokey, winky diddly, eye.
> 
> 
> Comments welcome. Barre Toelken
>                                   [log in to unmask] (or via ballads@)
> 



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